The Chaos Heir
by sunshineboomerang
Summary: Wizarding world is recovering with a powerful and goofy Harry Potter at it's reins. Hermione thinks she's getting her life back on track, that is until Draco Malfoy walks into the Wizarding world a free man and a secret that soon becomes the centerpiece of everything that holds dear.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter-1**

* * *

It began with a single conversation with Dumbledore's portrait just after her Twenty second birthday.

And then, the next thing Hermione knew, she had enrolled herself, along with her best friends for the Auror examination.

Perfect Newts, Countless wounds, and three near-fatal assignments later, Hermione had found herself and a nearly mummified Ron in the St Mungo's hospital.

Soon afterwards, Harry Potter had paid them a visit and announced rather proudly that the two of them had made it into the aurors, but they would be expected to take on a lot more responsibilities also, with them being war heroes and hope of the recovering wizarding world.

Oh, and he was thinking of running for minister.

Hermione had felt a strange feeling. A reckless, obnoxious and irresponsible feeling. She had grinned at Harry and nodded to everything he said.

Now she wondered why she even bothered.

Hermione grimaced as she disappeared under a bridge, trying hard to stay within the shadows, while her mind kept reminding her why she was in this predicament right now. Really, she had only herself to blame for this.

After passing her exams three years ago, she had been assigned a permanent post as the department of mysteries medical and forensic expert, which was exactly what she had wanted.

She had been ecstatic that she was going to be working directly under the minister for the majority of her duties.

However, the continuing conflict between Wizarding Britian and several minor guerrilla troops (which included remaining death eaters, rogue werewolves, vampires and other fanatics) meant that the Aurors ranks had been depleted, which resulted in her reassignment to the field a few months ago.

The shock of being on the field was almost too much but she had gotten used to it since. Not that she had much of a choice. The Minister needed all the Aurors he could spare, after all.

That was how she found herself on this assignment.

She had been sent to provide medical cover to a new unspeakable squad cell, whose assignment was to trail and rescue the last surviving heir of a certain ancient and prominent French pureblood house, who had been kidnapped by suspected remaining death eaters.

The plan was simple, rescue the boy gifted with a unique bloodline magic and incorporate him into the British forces as soon as possible.

It had gone fairly well until their presence was detected by one of the werewolves guarding the boy, and then all hell broke loose.

Outnumbered and taken by surprise, they had been hard-pressed to hold their ground, especially when the full moon had arrived. In the end, Hermione was the only surviving member of the three man squad cell.

She had done the only reasonable thing then.

She ran.

Panting heavily, Hermione pulled off her black pointed hat and wiped the sweat off her brow as she continued to glide apparate along the steep valley.

The hat was soon jammed back into her trusty beaded bag and she pulled out and wrapped herself in a long flowing muggle cloak, trying and failing to look like an uninteresting tourist.

She could still sense the presence of the werewolves somewhere behind her, so she did not slow down.

She was far too outnumbered to even consider fighting.

Spotting the outline of what looked like a forest in the distance, Hermione made a beeline for it, hoping to find a deserted area from which to apparate to safety without giving away her position.

The moment she reached it, Hermione felt herself relax. The forest was filled with dense trees and trails and was not new to her, after all, having spent nearly a year in exile during the war.

Hurriedly, she pulled out a broom from her bag.

She continued to distance herself from her attackers, but this time above the ground. Soon, much to her relief, their foul magical signatures gradually diminished.

Weary from the combat and the run, she shrouded her presence and rested on a wide tree limb. She had to plan again, she decided.

Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to rest, casting a strong cloaking spell around her. She needed to recharge and be ready for moonset by which time the werewolves will be at their weakest. It will be her only chance to salvage this assignment.

It was not long afterwards that a sense of… something… pricked at the edge of her conscious.

She froze in position. Immediately on edge, she tensed straight into battle mode and scanned her surroundings quickly.

What she saw made her breath catch in her throat.

A tall thin figure, with a head full of platinum blond hair.

 _Malfoy…_

Her heart gave an odd lurch and her breath left her in a rush. It had been so long since she had last laid eyes on those pointy Malfoy features that she could only stare at him.

She had not seen him in what? Four years?

He looked different now. His hair was long, falling to partially cover his silver grey eyes, which were devoid of any emotion at the moment. He must have let it grow after they had parted ways all those years ago.

And then the anger began to bubble within her.

So many things had happened because of the man standing there, and while she could overlook and forgive most of them, there was one that she simply could not accept.

God help her, if he was involved in this kidnapping after all what happened.

She recalled what his actions in the past had ultimately led to, and her temper began to boil. The urge to jump down from the tree to attack him, to physically pound him into the ground, was almost overwhelming. Her body, strung taut with emotion, was practically trembling with rage.

The next instant, her auror training kicked in, reminding her to calm down her emotions, to push them to the back.

This was no time to dredge up her personal issues with Malfoy. The position she was in was potentially dangerous.

For all she knew, he could be the enemy.

She inhaled deeply and forced herself to study him and the situation impassively, even though the perspiration dampening the inside of her cloak told her that she was anything but impassive.

Covered in a black, unmarked cloak, Draco Malfoy stood on the ground, staring up at her. He did not move, appearing outwardly relaxed, but she knew that if he wanted, he could attack at any moment.

She also knew that despite her brief rest, she did not have enough energy levels to last even minutes in a battle with him.

He was in a league of his own when it came to such things, the sneaky little ferret.

Her other option was to run, and once again, that seemed like the best course of action. Would he chase her when she ran? She swept her eyes over her surroundings again, this time attempting to find safe route out of her predicament.

When her eyes landed back on the former Death-eater, she found that he still had not moved.

Was he waiting for her to initiate something? Did he recall how they had parted? What was she to him now? Just a shadow in his past? An enemy?

No, she would not think of him in those terms. It was too personal. He was just Draco Malfoy, a former death eater, missing and presumed dead.

Slowly, she straightened up from her reclining position until she was standing on the tree limb, her wand at the ready and her entire body fully geared for battle. She had to be prepared for anything.

Still, he did not react.

She shifted forward and allowed herself to drop to the ground gently, her knees bent slightly to absorb the impact and to allow her a better chance of shifting directions.

And yet, he only continued to stare silently at her.

For an indeterminate span of time, both of them stood facing each other across the twenty feet which separated them. She could not help but wonder if she should simply walk away, but something stilled her.

Something kept her standing there, staring at those Malfoy features. He was thinner than she remembered, but he carried himself haughtily, like the well-born wizard he was.

"Malfoy…" she breathed out before she could stop herself, her voice was barely audible.

But he had heard her, and bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Granger." he returned.

Her breath stuck in her throat, half in panic, and half in relief.

Granger… He'd called her _Granger_.

It sounded as if he had been deliberately impersonal.

There was a burst of something inside her, something which bent dangerously close to hysteria. How could he talk to her so? What if this was just his way of messing with her head?

No, she had to remain calm.

She knew what she had to do. The protocol was clear.

If she was to find herself in a situation where she knew she could not win, she was to retreat and report the incident to the nearest base. Especially when it involved suspected death-eaters looking for revival of the old ways.

She swallowed hard as she made up her mind to do exactly that.

Chances were, they would never meet again. Her wand crackled at her fists at the very thought.

It was best that way, so that she did not have to be reminded of the part he had played in everything. Besides, she stood no chance against him, even though she wanted him to pay for what he had done.

So, she spun around away from him, briefly catching a glimpse of his look of surprise, before she turned.

It was only when she had apparated for miles that it struck her that he did not give chase.

.

.

Dawn broke through the clouds, just as Draco finished binding the last of werewolves and calming a very frantic boy, who was no doubt the missing lord of Clement, who ancestors could be traced back to Merlin's own sister.

After administering a calming draught and offering sanctuary and protection, for as long as needed, the boy finally showed signs of relaxing a bit and they started the long walk back to his mansion.

Aside from the occasional huts dotting the land, the valley was utterly devoid by human occupation.

The view was spectacular and just as Draco loved.

After all, he had been residing in this secluded part of the world for a while now, having relocated after the horrifying war and trails after that.

His brief time spent with a certain healer of the DOM also had to do with it.

Suddenly, Out of nowhere, they were facing a group of aurors.

On hindsight, Draco should have disappeared elsewhere by now. For if he had done so immediately after encountering Granger on the grounds two days ago, he would not be standing there with four British Aurors facing him with wands raised.

The boy lord held himself admirably, but Draco placed himself firmly between the aurors and the boy.

Clearly, Granger had reported his existence to the aurors, wherever they had set up base.

Draco grimaced. But it was a price he had paid for his carelessness. For letting his guard down.

"Draco Malfoy" a male auror spoke, his hair and face suggesting that he was one of the Diggorys, "You are supposed to be dead."

Draco simply raised a brow.

The auror took a step forward. "Please step aside and release Lord Clement to our custody immediately."

Draco's eyes met Granger's in a flat stare, before sliding to the Diggory, "that is not possible," he murmured softly, "Lord Clement in under my protection."

" _Protection_?" the auror echoed, sounding mildly puzzled. "And who are you to offer protection, Mr. Malfoy? You are trespassing into matters that do not concern you."

Draco's voice softened with a touch of amusement, "This valley and several villages around it belong to my family. It is you who are trespassing, not me."

Diggory stiffened slightly and nodded in understanding, "We apologize, Mr. Malfoy. But there was suspected death-eater activity occurring-"

"It is already dealt with," interrupted Draco, waving his hand gracefully, "there is a safe house towards the east in which you will find two unconscious men who had kidnapped Lord Clement. Also several bound werewolves on the way as you go. Granger's team mates are receiving medical help as we speak."

The aurors studied him in silent astonishment.

Draco slid his eyes towards the Hermione again, noticing the slight stiffening of her form.

So, she had thought he was somehow involved in all this even though she knew what he had given up to be here.

How typical.

Hermione glided forwards and ignoring Draco, she spoke to the boy lord directly, "Lord Clement,"she said with a slight bow, "we have come here to rescue you on the orders of our Minister. If you comply we will take you back with us to Britain and offer full protection of an auror detail for as long as needed."

"Forgive me, Miss." Lord Clement spoke, "But I vould like to remain wiz Lord Malfoy."

Hermione simply nodded and said nothing else.

Draco held on to the boy's arm preparing to apparate them both to the manor, "please remove the evidences of your prisoners and yourself from my grounds in twenty minutes. After which the French äurors will remove it for you."

Then they disappeared in a pop.

.

.

Percy Weasley sighed as he glanced out of the window of the Minister's office, feeling rather wistful that he was stuck in _this_ office instead being of out and about, overseeing cauldron reports and what not and sending notices to the Weezes about banning their dangerous products and keeping the rest of his siblings in line too.

And it was _such_ a beautiful day for a visit to the Borrow and hassle his mother into smothering him with her well made ham and chicken sandwiches with extra _extra_ mayo.

Percy sighed again.

Well, as much as he wished to be anywhere but here, he held the post of the head-advisor to their newest, laziest and craziest Minister.

(The rumors are not untrue _precisely_. The legendary Boy-who-lived _had_ changed a lot since the Final battle.)

So he had no choice but to be here, listening to all manners of reports, complaints and meetings.

Sometimes, he wondered if Harry Potter was even _awake_ half of those times. It was kind of hard to tell with that hooded face, heavy-lidded eyes, and especially when the top half of his face was covered by all that long disheveled hair and too-big-for-his-face-rock-star glasses.

Percy straightened slightly when a knock sounded on the door.

Without looking up, the Minister (Seated cross-legged on his large table, amidst reports) called out for the visitor to enter. The door opened to reveal the rotund figure of Millicent Bulstrode, who stepped in, closing the door behind him.

She looked grim, but then again, that was how she usually looked these days.

Percy didn't offer her a seat nor did the minister. If Millicent Bulstrode wanted to take a seat, she _would_ take a seat.

Without preamble, Bulstrode dropped a report on the Minister's desk and announced, "Draco Malfoy has been spotted."

Percy's brows furrowed as he absorbed this information.

Not far from him, Bulstrode settled herself against a wall, and lit a cigarette as she waited for the news to sink in.

Several seconds later, Harry Potter finally looked up from the book he had hidden behind a large report, his emerald green eyes sharpening with interest.

"By whom?" Harry enquired mildly.

Bulstrode's expression tightened. "Hermione Granger and her unspeakables."

Harry asked in a harder tone, a frown marring his forehead "He is not involved in the kidnapping business right?"

"Of course not," scoffed Bulstrode in some surprise. "Apparently he saved the unspeakable lives and even captured the death-eaters and werewolves. The Lord Clement is under his protection now."

"Who else knows of his existence?" Percy asked, as Harry leaned forward to snatch the report from the desk.

"Diggeroy's squad. They went to back up Granger when she sent a distress signal."

Harry frowned, looking concerned. "She's alright?"

"Yes. St Mungo's cleared everyone," Bulstrode rolled her eyes, "just read the god-damn report, Potter."

Harry read the entire report and handed it to Percy looking _thoughtful_.

That was always _dangerous_.

Percy pushed aside his stirrings of anxiety and quickly scanned the report.

Hmm, so Hermione's team dispersed after their first encounter with the werewolves and it being a full moon night, they each believed others had died.

Hmm, Hermione encountered Malfoy while taking cover and immediately sent a distress signal. She had always been a sensible girl. In the meantime, Malfoy had found her remaining team and submitted them to a healer and after getting the mission parameters took it upon himself to rescue Lord Clement.

 _Hmm_.

"It is all _very_ interesting." Percy said.

"Especially after what we have just found in the Lestrange's manor," Bulstrode pointed out.

Harry nodded, his eyes closed in a deep meditative pose.

They waited in silence for several anxious seconds that told Percy quite plainly that he was to be ordered to do something he would immensely dislike.

And true enough, Harry opened his eyes, green orbs twinkling manically, a sight that always made Percy fear for the Wizarding World.

"Milli, Percy, start planning." Harry said,"We need to bring Draco Malfoy in immediately."

* * *

 ** _Reviews will be much appreciated :)_**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter-2

* * *

Draco Malfoy contemplated his next move.

He had come down to breakfast on a Thursday morning to find his mansion's wards blaring piercingly, driving his three house-elves to scurry about like distraught chicken around a white snowy Owl.

They handed him a rolled letter and hurriedly explained that the _Minister for_ _Magic_ was on his way to discuss a matter of grave importance, and would he care to make himself presentable.

"I do _not_ care." Draco murmured and glided over to his favorite chair opening the scroll with a wave of his wand and silencing the wards with another.

His elves gathered around him worriedly, pristine clean, and the Malfoy crest blaring on their uniforms.

At Draco's annoyed nod, they began serving tea and breakfast, casting vaguely suspicious looks around and Draco mentally hoped that they hadn't spiked the wards with anything _too_ dangerous, as it would be a pain to explain it to the minister.

He turned his attention towards the letter.

Had anyone else choose to read the contents of the letter, they would find nothing interesting, except a poetic description by the minister on his grand cooking skills and his insistence that Draco sample a few of his dishes.

But Draco knew a coded text when he saw one. Particularly unnerving was the fact that it was written in a cipher used only by Serverus Snape to communicate with Draco during the war.

The contents of the message annoyed him further and although the _Minister_ wanted to meet him under _neutral_ terms, Draco knew as soon as he finished his first sentence that it would be anything but.

The wards around the mansion buzzed excitedly and very soon the Minister appeared through the floo, followed closely by Millicent Bulstrode and Percy Weasley.

Draco stood slowly; eyeing the person who was causing ripples in the international circles with his sheer outrageousness that many claimed rivaled even the great Albus Dumbledore's.

Frankly speaking, Harry Potter looked nothing like a man who had defeated a dark lord.

Nor like someone who was a symbol of hope and leadership to the new world nor like someone all magical creatures _choose_ to bow to, nor like someone so powerful that even the _dementers_ and the _giants_ were afraid of.

Potter looked like an utter lout, standing still in the middle of the room, blinking his bright green orbs and trying hard to stop a sneeze.

"Jesus Christ." Muttered Bulstrode in disgust and gestured a hand at Potter to sit wherever.

She exchanged a cool nod with Draco, "Draco."

"Milli."

Potter grinned at the underlying Slytherin tension and adjusted his pointed hat.

And because he lacked the proper manners befitting a functional wizard, did _not_ make use of the perfectly comfortable chairs sprawled across the rooms, but instead choose to perch like a moron on the edge of the table, with one leg dangling to the side.

Even with the hat, the silhouette of his idiotic hairstyle was clearly visible, traced in candle light.

" !" Potter boomed, his whole face brightening, "How nice to meet you at last."

Draco nodded politely, and lied, "Likewise, Minister."

"You've read my letter, yes?" inquired Potter eagerly, "did I not make a decent imitation of our very favourite professor?"

Draco looked around the room sharply, emotions hidden, like he was taught. It _had_ occurred to him that this could be a ruse to get him back on trails based on someone's imagined paranoia.

Potter's green orbs followed his actions and he nodded and waved his arms once.

A thick bubble popped around Draco and Potter, and grew in size until it covered the whole room and had almost squashed Bulstrode and Weasley and his elves against the walls.

Draco looked around at the original muffliato bubble charm, forgotten through the centuries simply because none were able to reproduce it.

"It must be really annoying to work under you." he told the minister.

Potter grinned again, "Well. Will you consider my offer, Malfoy?"

"It is not a simple offer," Draco said mildly.

"I did explain the reason behind it," Potter said equally mild, "the war is over. The trails are done. Your record is _clean_ , Malfoy, I know it's hard for you to imagine it, but it's true."

Draco scowled.

"This mission, if you accept it, will give you a perfect opportunity to return home." Potter continued, " _and_ join the Ministry. I know you always wanted that. Besides…" Potter looked directly into Draco's eyes, "after what you did during the war…You are a _hero_ , Draco. I can't let you punish yourself anymore."

Draco frowned, "What are you talking about." he whispered. He had not meant to whisper, but his voice had disappeared.

There are things he cannot say or people will know and curses will follow. There are things he simple cannot say.

Potter seemed to understand his thoughts completely, for he simply looked at him without saying a single word.

But Potter _knew_. He had been the centre point of the whirlwind of the war, so of course Potter knew.

Draco had not felt so unnerved in a long while.

"I see." he said smoothly, "I trust this will remain a secret? You know what was at stake."

Potter assumed a very sober, I'm-thinking-very-hard-on-you're-behalf expression, "will my answer help you decide to come home?"

Draco's brow went up. The precious golden boy of Gryffindor had finally learnt to think like a Slytherin.

But the minister forgot he was dealing with a _real_ Slytherin.

"A healer was recruited by the Lestranges during the war.."Draco said softly, watching Potter's eyes narrow warily, "she had brown hair and an annoying voice...An undercover unspeackable,obviously..?

"That mission was also _unspeakable_ , " Potter answered guardedly, "Why do you ask."

"She saved my mother's life twice, "Draco said, "I wish to thank her."

Potter's eyes roved over Draco, quick and efficient, distant.

Suddenly a prickle nudged Draco, a too-light-barely-there intrusion in his brain. Potter was obviously trying to read his mind.

Draco smirked and firmly pushed Potter out of his mind. He had been trained at this by the two most powerful death-eaters to ever grace the dark side.

If it came down to a mind game, he _would_ cheat and he _would_ win.

Just as suddenly the intrusion stopped and everything stilled.

Potter exchanged softly ironical smiles with Draco and then stood up, "I will await you decision and hope for the best."

Draco bowed and led the Minister out.

.

Hermione apparated from rooftop to rooftop until she reached a new valley of residential homes. Scaling the distance to the grandest and largest building, she apparated again and soon found herself standing outside Ronald Weasley's house.

There, she knocked on the door and called out, "Ron! Ron, wake up and open the damn door!"

She stepped back and waited.

At one time, she had been thick enough to blast the lock in her annoyance, only to be greeted by the sight of Ron doing… things she had no business seeing. Since then, she'd decided that it was best for her to just wait outside.

A couple of minutes later, the sound of high heeled footsteps reached her, and the door slid open to reveal the pug face of Pansy Parkinson.

"Hermione." She greeted flatly, "as always, your manners astonish me."

Smiling, Hermione beamed at one half of the most scandalous couple to grace the tabloids since Orion Black and his too closely related Cousin . "Good morning, Pansy. Where's Ronald?"

"Inside," Pansy said. "Come in and have some breakfast. I can hear your stomach growling louder than the train whistle."

"Okay." Hermione followed.

Happily stuffing her mouth with scones, she glanced past the room to see a sleep-ruffled Ron stepping into the living room.

"Hermione," he greeted her, smiling a little.

Hermione felt her heart dip ever so slightly as she returned his smile. Ron had changed so much since the War and the death of his brother.

She could still remember just how distraught he had been. Ron had been in the thick of things, alongside Harry and had been angrier than anyone had ever seen him.

By the time they had managed to regain control of wizarding Britain, Ron had been worn out.

It was only recently, that he seemed to be slowly going back to his old self. Even though he was one of the richest wizards in Britain now, a sadness still lingered in Ron. It was as if he blamed himself in some ways for Fred's demise.

In many ways, Pansy had helped Ron regain control over his life. She managed to reach him with her sharp words and soft touch, becoming a part of him silently without seeming to do so.

Hermione still remembered the day Ron had formally introduced Pansy as his girlfriend to Harry and her.

Harry had bellowed with delighted laughter and utterly disregarding Pansy's comments on his hair and choice of clothing, flirted disgracefully with her.

Hermione had worried and frankly told them to stop acting stupid and think things through before taking any decision.

But now…it's been nearly four years and yet they were still together.

"Oi, Hermione!"

She blinked to find Ron and Pansy peering at her curiously.

"Are you on drugs, Granger?" Pansy demanded.

Laughing lightly as she began to walk towards the Floo, she shook her head. "I'm just thinking about the child who's definitely going to have Ron's hair and your nose."

Hermione arrived at the ministry, with Ron's splattering and Pansy's outrage still ringing in her ears.

Slytherins made good loyal friends if you let them and refused to acknowledge that fact to them.

Hermione frowned. Lately, she found herself avoiding all thoughts of Slytherins because each time she did so, she was reminded of _that_ person.

It had been nearly a year since she had seen him last, and if she could help it, she never wanted to see him again, so that she did not have to relive all those painful emotions again. The feelings were still all too raw, and to some extent, she blamed him for many things.

The image of his pale face flashed across her mind then, and Hermione forcibly brushed it away. She had closed that chapter in her life, and it was time to move on.

Ron joined her just as the lift gates were about to close, "Hermione, next time you decide to throw me to the snakes…just warn me alright."

Hermione chuckled.

Ron turned to her, his face serious, "You're not thinking about little Felix, are you?"

Hermione smiled at the mental imagery of the child. "No, I'm sure Felix is having the time of his life in Bulgaria right now."

"When is he coming back?"

"In two weeks." Hermione replied with a grin. "Come on, we have to hurry. This summons sounded urgent. Harry will pout if we're late. In _front_ of everyone."

Ron laughed. "Yeah, he is such a baby sometimes."

When they finally arrived at their destination, an undisclosed room deep in the ministry, most of the unspeakables, Aurors and DIM officials were already there, tightly packed into the space. Besides her and Ron, Theodore Nott, Michael Connor and Greengrass were also aurors there from their year. The rest were in other departments or all older or younger officials.

Seated behind a desk with Kinsley Shacklebolt standing to one side and Percy Weasley on the other, the minister for magic sat across of them, hands carefully nonchalant on his wand, and looking for the entire world like he had just rolled out of bed.

His hooded eyes were for once, alert and thoughtful.

Sometimes, Hermione could hardly believe that her tardy goofy friend was now the leader of the new world

The sound of hushed whispers of her comrades drew her attention.

Baffled about why they were all gathered like this, Hermione turned sideways to cast a questioning glance at Nott, someone who seemed to have a lot of inside information about everything.

However, Nott simply shook his head, silently telling her that he too, did not know what was going on.

A questioning glance towards Percy only yielded a useless shrug. But her eyes narrowed at the way the red head refused meet her eyes directly.

"Alright."said Harry, yawning a little and standing up, he continued, "So, it looks like we're all here."

"Yes, Minister."

"Good." He scanned the room again. "I'll assume everybody here is aware of the recent issue plaguing our Ministry."

Hermione grimaced as everyone began to shuffle uncomfortably.

Oh Yes, they were all more than aware of the separate _accidents_ which resulted in the mysterious deaths of aurors and DIM operatives over the last few months.

Some had said that those aurors had been careless, and some said that they were simply weak. And those who were more suspicious suspected that someone was out there killing off Ministry operatives systematically.

Hermione did not know what to think because the autopsies proved nothing.

"I take it you don't need further elaborations on that." Harry's tone was flat.

One of the operatives held up a hand. "Is the Minister suspecting foul play?"

Harry raised a brow. "Should I?"

Silence fell.

Harry regarded them thoughtfully for a moment, and then adjusted his aviator glasses. "That's your answer, then."

Hermione frowned, growing slightly impatient. Just why did Harry call them there then if he had nothing to say? What was he playing at?

"Oi, Harry, why did you call us?" Ron asked in his usual blunt manner.

"It's like this, Ron. I ordered an analysis done on the situation. There is a simple reason for the deaths of our operatives. Apparently our apprentice training program is simply insufficient, and the entrance exams flawed. This ultimately led to the death of those operatives," Harry finished with a slight eye crinkle.

A collective gasp sounded around the room, and Hermione's eyes shot wide open.

 _Insufficient_?

Harry must be _joking_.

The entrance test for the auror department was one of the most difficult things she had gone through in her life.

And she knew that she was not the only one who had such an impression. She had spent _three weeks_ recovering from her injuries after that exam.

"What are you saying, Harry! That we'll have to retake the exams?" Ron exclaimed incredulously.

"Ron!" Hermione hissed, grabbing his sleeves even though he paid no attention to her. Ron might end up making things worse if he did not shut up.

Shaklebolt glided forwards, his eye flashing. " _You_ , Weasley, especially, could do with relearning a bit more discipline."

Glancing around, he continued, "Lucky for you all, the Minister is _insisting_ on not stripping you of your auror DIM opperative status. But everybody here is _lacking_. And everyone here _will_ undergo some reformation, which means that some of you might have to undertake… review sessions, and perhaps some evaluation tests."

Everyone looked to Harry who frowned at Shaklebolt but nodded his agreement.

A discontented buzzing rose in response to his affirmation.

Hermione instantly wilted.

If _Harry_ thought that the old test was inadequate, he would make sure that this new improved one was much worse. In that case, half of them would probably fail. Or die trying.

"Unbelievable."

"Tell me about it."

"What about our duties?" newbie Diggory asked. "Do we still get on as usual with all these... review sessions?"

"Your new schedules and duties will be Owled to you tomorrow morning," Harry replied.

Nott frowned and asked, "How long is this training going to last?"

Harry waved a dismissive hand in the air. "As long as it takes."

Frowning slightly, Hermione spoke for the first time. "Who exactly _will_ be training us?"

Harry smiled widely, and for some reason, Hermione just _knew_ that this whole thing would blow up in their faces.

Harry never smiled like that unless he was about to drop something really, _really_ scandalous on them. And indecent. It had to be something indecent as well.

"I'm glad you asked, Granger." Shaklebolt murmured, he turned and nodded at Percy, "Tell him to join us now."

Percy's eyes flickered once, and then he nodded before leaving the room.

Hermione stared at the messy haired Minister with growing panic.

There was something incredibly suspicious about this.

Firstly, Harry was not the type to listen to the rubbish about the auror department's training being weak.

Harry knew full well what they had to go through to make it into aurors in the first place, and it was not easy. Then there was the fact that he was restructuring the whole of the department of mysteries as well and re-training ALL the operatives, which did not make sense.

This was the best security department in the whole world and they had the best strategists and operatives trained to handle any kind situations.

To think that they might all need _additional_ training was simply preposterous.

Harry Potter was definitely up to something.

"Is it someone we know?" Ron asked curiously.

"It _is_ someone you know, very well too." Harry confirmed evasively, smiling with hands in his robe pockets and staring up at the ceiling.

Hermione's suspicion intensified.

"It's probably Lupin," one of the younger auror said. "He's one of the veretens."

Another rolled his eyes. "He would never agree that we would need additional training."

"But he was one of the best, right?" Ron interjected, sounding hopeful. His eyes gleamed with excitement. "It will be like old times, then."

A quiet knock sounded on the door, drawing all eyes to it, and Shaklebolt stepped in. "He's here."

Smile vanished; Harry gave them a look of warning. "Remember to _trust_ me. And before any of you act all melodramatic, please remember that this restructuring is necessary."

Like everyone else in the room, Hermione turned to the door as it swung open wider.

Then a collective gasp sounded as a black cloaked man stepped into the room, his posture regal and his steps unhurried.

He advanced with unmistakable authority. He walked like he's arrived.

The room suddenly descended into a frigid silence as they all stared at the newcomer. No other sound could be heard as his silver-grey eyes swept over them with obvious indifference.

Hermione felt her heart grind to a halt when his presence sank in fully.

Harry had asked _him_ to train them?

What was Harry _thinking_?

Stunned, she could only stare wordlessly as the pair of silver grey eyes landed on her.

Then, to her incredulity, those lips lifted into a smirk.

He was mocking her!

She could not believe it, but he was actually standing there, in the presence of the entire auror department, with the nerve to _mock_ her.

"Draco Malfoy will be heading up the restructuring."

* * *

Reviews will be appreciated


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter-3

* * *

The silence in the room was fraught with tension.

Clearly, it was the result of his presence, Draco thought with a small amount of bemusement. It would be interesting to see how they would react to his orders in the future.

It would be _difficult_ , that was for certain.

He cross his arms and was content to fix his gaze on one third of the golden trio.

The familiar flare of her brown eyes and her tense posture was more than enough to tell him that she was straining to control herself.

Of course she did not expect to see _him_ there.

The mere shock of it had frozen her to her place.

In fact, now that she seemed to have somewhat gotten over her initial shock at seeing him, Draco was very sure that she would like nothing more than to punch his nose like she did so many years ago.

It did not matter.

He had to stay in Britain, whether she liked it or not.

Not that he had expected _her_ to be an MLE operative, let alone the one he had worked with undercover during the war.

He had not expected that Potter would let her risk her neck like that.

A blast of magic drew his attention to another operative shaking uncontrollably across the room.

It was Sebastian Nale.

Draco vaguely recalled reading his wedding announcement in the papers last year.

To _Katie Bell._

It was as if Nale's reaction was a medium to everybody else's.

The moment he exhibited his anger, the rest of room drew out their own wands.

"He was a death-eater, Minister!"

"This is _insane_ , Harry!"

"Twenty-seven Muggle baiting cases against his father!"

Hermione stepped forwards, eyes flashing and bushy brown hair crackling, while Ron yelled, "You have some nerve, stepping into the Ministry like this!"

Their eyes locked and Draco tightened his hold on his wand, careful not to give an inch in any which way.

They were too high-strung right now, too much uncertainty just below the surface and he didn't want to make a wrong move.

"Stand down!" the Minister shouted in warning.

Before the attack could launch, Draco saw it coming. He raised his wand deflecting Nale's spell and throwing a non verbal bind at him.

Nale and his associates were flat on the ground in second, silver bindings tightly wound around them.

Before another attack could happen, the Minister twisted his own wand in a lasso circle and pulled.

At once, nearly fifty wands flew across the room and landed at his feet.

Draco tightened his hold on his wand not the least surprised that Hermione was one of the few who still had their wands on them.

"Sebastian Nale." He stepped around them and walked over to the fallen wizards.

Nale's glare turned murderous and he struggled to get free. It was futile. The binds were too strong.

"Is this how an esteemed Ministry auror should behave?" Draco asked softly, his tone dripping with contempt.

The silence in the room intensified, and Draco openly smirked when the rest of the department shifted their eyes away from him.

Except for the Hermione, of course. She was still glaring mutinously at him. Subduing her opposition of him would be challenging.

"Disobedience. Will. Not. Be. _Tolerated_ ," he announced, locking eyes with her.

None reacted to his proclamation. It abruptly occurred to him then that he relished the confrontation, relished the fight for control from others.

He had missed being challenged.

The Minister clapped his hands together cheerfully, drawing their attention. "Now that you have been introduced to your new ah Head, are there any questions?"

Frosty silence greeted him.

"Excellent." Harry turned to him, still grinning like a loon. "Do you have anything else to say, Malfoy?"

Draco inclined his head once before turning to eye the group of uncomfortable operatives. "Report to Training Room Five at the Unspeakables tomorrow morning for your briefing," he murmured evenly.

Mutterings of assent filtered through the air, infused with stronger, unflattering whisperings.

A sense of excitement washed over Draco at the realization that _this_ was not any different from what things had been like before he had left the wizarding Britain all those years ago, before the war, before…everything.

He had never been a well-liked man, ever. And he missed the novelty of simply being the Slytherin.

"You are dismissed." the Minister announced, waving a hand and banishing the wands at his legs, "collect your wands from the Children's welfare offices downstairs. Good luck explaining why you have lost them."

Draco waved his wand and the binds vanished.

The Minister waited for all of them to file out, before turning back to him, Percy and Millicent

Green eyes twinkled, looking truly entertained, "I thought it went _great_."

Millicent snorted and leaned against the wall. "They looked ready to riot, if you ask me."

Draco arched a brow at those words.

"He can handle it." the Minister told her, and then asked Draco "Right?"

"Yes."

Percy walked forwards and handed Draco an official file, "These are the keys to the wards guarding the files I sent you this morning. It contains all the information about the operatives."

Potter turned to him at that, all humor disappearing, his entire being cold and extracting, "You have made the binding oath?"

Draco replied calmly, "Yes. Weasley and Kingsley as witnesses."

Potter nodded but still looked vaguely menacing.

He would do well not to underestimate _this_ Potter, Draco concluded. There was a side to him that almost felt predatory.

The oath had simply acknowledged that he would not betray the Minister or harm his loyal subordinates during the course of this assignment, nor would he divulge anything he had learnt to external parties without Potter's consent. .

They still regarded him with suspicion, not that he had expected otherwise. But perhaps he should at least _attempt_ to put Potter's mind at ease.

He _was_ the Minister, after all.

"Your concern is unnecessary, Potter. I take my allegiance very seriously."

The Minister of Magic nodded, but Draco observed a gleam of something in the green orbs. He strengthened his mind blocks against Potter's abrupt invasion.

Harry Potter suspected him of having an ulterior motive, it seemed. The assault on his mind was vicious and Draco had to use all his strength to push Potter out of his mind.

After a few seconds of the staring match, Milli grinned, "He's good."

"So it would seem," replied Potter, pouting a little and breaking eye contact.

Percy sighed. "You understand that you'll have a hard time with everyone in the department, don't you, Malfoy?"

"I'm aware of that."

"And you still want to keep your role in the war secret?" Harry pressed.

Draco nodded.

"That's an idiotic move, Draco." Milli told him flatly.

"It is my business alone, Bulstrode, and none of yours." Draco returned smoothly.

Harry cast them an amused look. "Listen. Now, don't exaggerate things with the training, alright? It's only a cover after all. "

"They are _wary_ of anything dark. They lack _discipline_ , Potter. They follow _your_ example, clearly." Draco retorted in disgust, "so logically, this department is on a path to self-destruct."

Harry gave him a half amused half insulted look. "They are some of the best witches and wizards in the world."

"Then why are these murders taking place so easily?"

Potter stilled and his eyes dimmed and for the first time, he looked truly upset, "I don't know…" he said in a fraught whisper, shoulders visibly sagging, in a completely helpless gesture, "it's clearly the work of some psychopath sending a challenge to the Minister. Makes me wonder if I should resign."

Draco felt an incredible urge to smack Potter across the head and tell him off for worrying like a ninny.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Milli and Percy exchange nervous looks.

"Not everything revolves around you, Potter." He growled, snapping his fingers at Potter's nose.

"Right." Harry shook his head, like a wet dog. "We have to run a magical community, after all…so, I would appreciate it if the injuries are kept to the bare minimum. "

"No promises Potter."

"I'm beginning to think if this is _such_ a good plan," Harry muttered before slanting an accusing look at Milli and Percy.

"Harry! This was _**your**_ bloody idea!"

.

.

Hermione was shaking in anger as she made her way across the streets to the Muggle café around the corner.

Beside her, Ron was still glowering darkly.

The shock of seeing Draco dressed in the full unspeakable gear, mocking her, was still reverberating in her mind.

A furious core of uncertainty grew within her and she wished for nothing more than to run away as far as possible away from _him_. At the same time, she wanted to march straight up to him and punch his arrogant face for everything he had done.

Also, the possible implications of Draco's return were beginning to make their way through her mind, and her thoughts were streaking in many different directions, playing through the many potential, horrible situations that might occur in the near future.

None of them made her feel any better.

She knew she had a good reason to worry. Many, in fact.

Despite the time they had spent together, she barely even knew him. And his highly suspicious role in the war.

And if he found out that…

The spoon in her hand snapped into two.

"I cannot believe it," Hermione bit out. "How could Harry even think of bringing _him_ , of all people, like this? And to think that we have to-have to _obey_ his-his _orders_."

"I'll kill him," Ron muttered darkly, his entire body strained. "Just wait until I get a chance."

Alarmed at Ron's words, she spun around and warned, "You do realize that he has the _Minister's_ approval to be here, right?"

"I don't care! Neither should you, Hermione!"

Hermione sighed, reaching up to rub the side of her head, which was beginning to throb under the stress.

"Ron… You're not supposed to know this, but I'll tell you anyway. Remember that time I went on a mission with the Unspeakables last year?"

"How could I forget? When you got back, you were flat out from exhaustion, and Johnson didn't wake up until a week later," Ron ground out.

"We met Malfoy on the task. I don't know how, but he was involved in it somehow."

"See! That bastard deserves to die."

"That won't be easy;" she told him flatly "his magic is strong. Our team only survived because he helped us. The reports said that he fought four werewolves on his own."

Ron fell silent.

Hermione hoped she had gotten through to her friend. It was no secret that the unspeakables were nothing to be laughed at.

If werewolves couldn't hurt Malfoy, it was unlikely that Ron would be able to.

Also, Harry himself had assigned Malfoy as the overall MLE Head, there was no way they could do anything to impair him, right now.

Whatever he had done in the past, however bad…he was their superior now and any action against him would be taken as a betrayal towards the Minister of Magic.

 _Bloody Hell!_

Hermione wanted to scream.

They collected their hot coffees and slowly made their way back to the ministry.

There was one other thing which concerned Hermione the most. Considering the situation, it was just as well that Felix was in Bulgaria. He should really stay there until this whole thing was over, whenever that might be.

"Hey Guys!"

Hermione looked up to find Harry leaning on the beautiful picket fence beside them. His aviator glasses were on, and his wand was transfigured into a stylish walking stick. Along with the black cloak, he looked like a character out of a Victorian novel.

Before she could even open her mouth, Ron was already yelling.

"Harry Potter!" Ron exclaimed, kicking Harry's walking stick, "What were you thinking hiring an evil git to train us? _Why?_ "

She watched intently as Harry rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and _didn't answer_.

"Ah…What is the problem exactly?" he asked as he fluidly moved to stand in front of them.

"Stop it now, Harry. I know there's something else behind this so-called reformation nonsense. So what is it?" Hermione demanded.

An uncomfortable chuckle escaped the Minister while he waved a dismissive hand about. "Ah, it's classified information and what not. You know how it is."

"And why can't you tell _us_?" Ron bellowed indignantly. "And why _him_? He's a bloody git! His family-his father..all bloody _death eaters_."

Harry's eyes narrowed slightly and he took a wary step back. "Ron, he didn't...his father is not him…and there's something else too, I can't say it right now."

Hermione exchanged a fleeting glance with Ron and immediately moved to corner Harry against the fence with his help.

"Don't think you are getting away. We need answers. Start speaking. _NOW_."

Harry sagged visibly, holding up both hands in surrender. "Alright, _alright_. I'll tell you everything!"

"Why is Draco Malfoy really here?"

The Minister made a thoughtful meditative look. "To fix up the MLE?"

"You can't seriously expect us to believe that. What we have now is good enough," Hermione pointed out.

"Obviously it's not good enough because five operatives just died recently." Harry continued, expression turning serious at last, "Also, ever since Kingsley's hinting at his retirement, the Department has been rather jumbled lately."

"Williamson could fill Kingsley's position easily." Her tone was flat. "He is good enough. You know it."

Harry's eyes creased and he smiled fondly at her. "Remind me to include you in my little group of advisors, alright? I'll call for you the next time we have one of those tedious policy meetings. You can take notes. _You_ would love them."

She scowled at him. Harry was not taking them seriously. _At all_.

"Why him, Harry?" Ron asked plaintively, bringing them back to the topic at hand.

Harry's tone was gentle when he said, "You must trust in me, Ron."

"I do…but.." Ron closed his eyes as if in pain. "He represents everything so many people died fighting against."

"Oh Ron," Hermione said softly, reaching out to hold his hand.

"I'm fine," Ron replied in a rough voice, giving her a quick little smile to soften it.

Harry sighed and spoke softly to his friends, "I know the two of you don't like the idea of him being here, but we were all little punks back then. Pansy herself wanted to hand me to Voldemort at the end, remember? We all did what we could to survive."

Hermione bristled, while Ron grew stormy, but both of them couldn't deny the fact of the matter.

Harry gave them both pleading looks.

Hermione could have sworn that his gaze lingered longer on her, making her wonder if maybe Draco had told Harry the truth about them, after all.

 _No. Never._

Telling Harry would only complicate matters, and gave the Minister unnecessary power over him.

There was no benefit in it. And if she had learnt anything about Draco in the time they had spent together, he _never_ did anything unless there was something in it for himself.

Sneaky little ferret.

A small voice at the back of her mind nudged at her, whispering that that was not strictly true. Grimacing, Hermione ignored the voice.

In front of her, Harry's expression hardened.

"And I would appreciate it if _you_ didn't _still_ behave like little punks with him."

Ron's hands clenched, and Hermione quickly tightened her hold on his fist, hoping that he would calm down.

As much as Harry loved them, he was now their Minister and deserved to be treated as such. Having Ron explode in rage at him on the street was certainly not the way to treat their Minister.

Even though the street was deserted, she knew they were invisible security guarding him, and one of them was a vampire.

She also knew, little bugs from the Daily Prophet stalked him regularly from a safe distance, too far to hear anything, but near enough for pictures.

So she fixed Harry with an uncompromising stare. "Are you sure you know what you're doing, _Minister?"_

Harry winced uncomfortably at her formality, and said averting his face from her. "We will know soon enough."

Something clicked and Hermione demanded. "Who else is involved in this plan?"

Harry appeared as if he was about to answer, and then his eyes widened as he pointed a finger.

"What is _that?"_

Wand out in a second, Hermione spun in the direction he was pointing at.

Only to find _nothing_.

And when she turned back, Harry had vanished without a sound.

"I can't believe we fell for that again!" Ron yelled, chuckling and throwing his arms up in the air.

"I'm pulling his hair the next time we meet. Manners be damned." Hermione grumbled irritably.

Both of them fell silent, and Hermione snuck a glance at Ron to find him wearing an expression she recognized all too well from the past few years. Frankly, she felt the same, but she knew that one of them had to snap the other out of it.

"Don't, Ron," she advised quietly.

Ron closed his eyes, and then slowly opened them to reveal the pain within. "I miss Fred. Nothing's the same, you know…and Gorge is still…"

"I know."

"I do not want him here." Ron clenched his hands.

Hermione nodded gravely.

Their wounds were healing, albeit slowly, but Draco's return into their lives ripped those wounds open again, reminding them of war. Reminding them that Draco had played a large part in the death of their brother and so many dear friends.

Furthermore, Draco's presence reminded her of the things she had hidden from her friends and things she had hidden from him.

Now that he was here, she was forced to think of what could happen when the truth came out into the open. What would everyone think of her previous relationship with Draco? Would they condemn her for hiding it?

She _had_ broken protocol, she knew.

And Harry knew. Or suspected.

All these were things she did not wish to deal with, things she had hoped would simply fade into the past.

She took in a deep breath to settle her thoughts. Neither of them could do much about Draco's presence here.

What they needed instead was a distraction.

A means to survive yet another day.

Because nothing else mattered.

Reaching out, she grabbed Ron by the arm again. "Let's go back to your place and get Pansy."

Ron looked startled. "She's at work. She told me not to disturb her unless I am dying."

Hermione laughed, "Let's do something fun before training starts tomorrow."

"Like what?"

"Let's go to the Burrow."

.

.

From a heavily cloaked spot among the trees, Draco watched silently as the riotous Weasley family laughed and talked while they set out the food on a long wooded bench in the small clearing by the river.

Inevitably, his eyes kept returning to the bushy brown haired witch.

Unlike earlier, when she had been dressed in the long flowing robes, she was now wearing casual muggle clothing, reminiscent of what she used to wear during the past years.

She had changed only little ever since they had parted ways. Her features had matured slightly, and her body now reflected her occupation as an active MLE operative.

But what was most obvious was the tension which seemed to radiate from her. Was this due to his presence?

And then there was the anger she did not bother to conceal. While he had not given her the whole truth all those years ago, he had only done so in the interest of protecting his family. Surely she understood that?

Did she still hold _that_ against him?

It was his nature to be selfish in some matters.

Or perhaps her anger stemmed from something else.

"Fancy seeing you here, Malfoy."

Draco did not turn around at the comment. Why should he, when he knew that the man would draw near regardless of what he said.

True enough, a moment later, Harry Potter materialized on a branch beside him, dangling his legs and looking very pleased with himself.

The Minister glanced out once through the dense camouflage spells, obviously spotting the group by the riverbank.

Idly, Draco wondered what the Potter wanted.

"I hope you are not here to rekindle romance with dear Pansy," the Minister commented casually, "she is with Ron now."

Draco felt the corner of his lips tilt upwards at the Minister's less than subtle prodding. "No."

"Hmm?" After a short pause, which was no doubt calculated, Harry continued, "Then you must be here to visit your nephew..Teddy Lupin?"

"I have already been to my Aunt's place to meet him. You know that."

The Minister fell silent then, and both of them watched as Pansy rushed to intercept Teddy before the boy could jump headlong into the cold water rushing down the river.

Seated on the bench, Ron and Hermione just watched them with smiles on their faces, as Pansy caged the boy in a round bubble charm and directed him towards the others.

"So, it's not Pansy...and It's not Teddy…" the black-haired man muttered counting off fingers.

Draco shook his head once, but did not speak a word and did not look at the Minister.

The man was perceptive enough to deduce the truth without him. He did not wish to hide his interest in his witch, for it was pointless.

Eventually, the rest of world would realize the true reason for his return, and it was not to reclaim his crumbling Malfoy estate nor assist the Minister in rectifying the problems within his departments.

It was Hermione.

He would have sought her out sooner.

But he had found no courage left in him. In all those years he had spent apart from her, he had never felt like himself even once.

Just a deep and terrible loss. For he had also lost his precious ones. Even after all he did to survive and save them…in the end even his beautiful mother had died a most horrible death.

"Hermione's been through a lot too."

Draco slid a glance at the other wizard, careful to keep his face blank and mind closed.

Did he mean that Hermione had been through a lot because of the war all those years ago, or was he referring to something else entirely? A wave of uncertainty washed over him as he wondered what Hermione had been up to all these years.

Potter raised a brow. "Nothing snide to say, Malfoy?"

The corner of his lips tilted slightly before Draco rolled his eyes and responded, "Don't you have a _meeting_? Or something _work-like_? You are a _Minister_ , for god sake."

"Mmm. It's my job to look after everybody, don't you agree?"

Draco turned back to the laughing group, his mind wandering to the past as he murmured, "Perhaps if the previous leaders of the light had made this effort, things would be very different today."

"Perhaps." After a pause, Potter added, "But I am _not_ a leader of the light."

Both of them fell into silence soon afterward, both watching as the adults some distance away played with the little children, whose red hair shone under the sun.

Teddy's hair changed six different colors in a matter of minutes.

With Tonks as mother and Lupin as the father, many would have great expectations from the boy, Draco mused.

Even Potter seemed much invested in the boy's future and would protect him from unreasonable pressures, no doubt.

The Minister vanished without another word, but Draco noticed the moment he was gone without taking his eyes away from the group.

Molly and Hermione were now packing, the picnic clearly over, while Ron and Bill led the children inside.

When Draco finally returned to the empty Malfoy Manor, it was nearly Mid-night.

* * *

Review, dear reader.


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